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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Glamis Castle by Gwyn Brodie

Welcome back to History Undressed, guest author and friend, Gwyn Brodie! She's written a fascinating post for us today on Glamis Castle. I adore castle posts! Hope you enjoy!

Glamis
Castle

by Gwyn Brodie

On my last trip to Scotland, my friends and I got a chance
to visit Glamis Castle. The drive, or "avenue" as it is called, to
the castle is a mile long and absolutely breathtaking. It is lined with great
oaks planted in the 17th century by the 3rd earl. Many people stop along the
way to take photos—including us!

Inside the castle, I felt as if I were in a fairy tale as we moved from room to room filled with beautiful antique objects, drapes and furniture, including a bed in the Kings Room dating back to 1660. One of the rooms is called King Malcolm's Room, named in memory of King Malcolm II who died at Glamis in 1034. It was the private chamber of the Lord and Lady. It is believed that his death was the result of assassination, a hunting accident or mortal wounds from battle.

The estate boasts many amazing gardens. One of which is the Italian Garden with its raised terrace, two small gazebos, and formal beds separated by gravel walks. There is also a water fountain and ornamental gates. While walking the Nature Trail, you might see red squirrels, roe deer or heron and you'll cross Glamis Burn, which has an arboretum featuring trees from all over the world, many of them rare and several hundred years old. The Dutch Garden is private, but can be easily viewed, and has a sundial from the 17th century.

Glamis is located in Angus, Scotland, and sits between the
Sidlaw Hills and the Grampian Mountains twelve miles inland from the North Sea.
The estate covers approximately 14000 acres and produces several cash crops,
including lumber and beef. The castle's location has prehistoric traces, such
as an intricately carved Pictish stone knows as the Eassie Stone found in a
nearby creek-bed.

It is said that Glamis is the most haunted castle in
Scotland, and perhaps in the United Kingdom. There are many myths and legends
attached to the castle, but the most talked about ones have to do with a
pageboy, two lords and a lady.

The ghost of a little pageboy sits on the stone seat inside
the Queen Mother's Sitting Room. He was a mischievous little boy and was told
to sit there for his punishment. On the coldest night of the coldest winter
everyone retired to their beds, but forgot to dismiss the little boy. He obeyed
the order to stay there and during the night he froze to death and was found
the next morning still on the seat. It is said that his vengeful ghost has a
habit of sticking out a foot to trip up the unwary visitor as they enter the
room.

There is a secret chamber at Glamis, of which we were shown
the location. As the tale goes, Lord Glamis and his old enemy, the Earl of
Crawford, who was called "Tiger" because of his temper, gambled
through Saturday evening late into the night. They were disturbed by the
servants at midnight begging them to stop playing as the Sabbath was upon them.
"We care not what day of the week it is," roared the Lords. "If
we have a mind to we shall play until Doomsday." When the first cards were
laid on the table early that Sunday morning, the door opened and the Devil
stood there. "I will take your Lordships at your word," he said.
"Doomsday has come for both of you." It is believed that they still
play, and that if you listen at the walls of the room at midnight on Saturdays
you can often hear the two lords sobbing and the shuffling of cards.

The Grey Lady, who is said to haunt the Chapel, was Janet
Douglas, wife of the 6th Lord Glamis. When he died only a few years after their
marriage, she was victimized by King James V who wanted the Castle and hated
the Douglas family. He falsely accused her of witchcraft, her two small sons of
treason and they all were imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle. The people of
Edinburg knew the accusations were false and there were riots in the streets.
The king tried Janet and executed her for witchcraft. She was burnt alive at
the stake on Castle Hill in front of Edinburgh Castle in 1537 and her spirit
returned to Glamis. 151 years after her death, she was seen entering the Chapel
where she has her own seat and in which no one else is allowed to sit. She is
the most frequently seen ghost at Glamis. We were able to visit the Chapel and
sat in front of the Gray Lady's seat. I don't know whether I was hoping to see
her, or hoping I wouldn't!

The most famous legend linked to the castle is that of the
Monster of Glamis, a hideously deformed child born to the family. Accordingly
to the story, the monster was kept in the castle all his life and his suite of
rooms bricked up after his death. Guests staying at Glamis once hung towels
from the windows of every room to find the bricked-up suite of the monster.
When they looked at it from outside, several windows had no towels.

It is believed that the legend of the monster may have been
inspired by the true story of the Ogilvies. Somewhere in the 16-foot-thick
walls is the famous room of skulls, where the Ogilvie family, who sought
protection from their enemies the Lindsays, was walled up to die of starvation.

The late Sir David Bowes-Lyon, while taking a late stroll on
the lawn after dinner, reportedly saw a girl gripping the bars of a castle
window and staring distractedly into the night. He was about to speak to her
when she abruptly disappeared, as if someone had torn her away from the window.

I hope you have enjoyed hearing about Glamis Castle as much
as I enjoyed visiting!

Lady Sorcha MacPherson is betrothed to Archibald Campbell,
the Laird of Clifftower Castle, where she is staying until her wedding day.
Once she finds out what a cruel and vicious man the laird truly is, Sorcha’s
plans change. She refuses to marry him and live the abusive existence she knows
she would if she were to become his wife. One night, with the help of
Campbell’s own guards, Sorcha, her two guards and maid leave to return home to
Blackstone, where her brother, Alexander, is laird. The following day they are
attacked by highwaymen before being rescued by the handsome, Galen MacKinnon,
heir apparent to Moorloch Castle.

Galen is quite taken with the beautiful Sorcha. And she is
most appreciative of his help—until he learns her identity and abducts her to
exchange for his brother's freedom, because her brother is holding him
prisoner! Campbell chases after them because he wants Sorcha, and especially
her dowry. Galen vows the cruel laird—nor any other man but himself—will have
her. Will their love survive the deceit, betrayal and danger that greet them at
every turn?

3 comments:

Yet another site to add to my list of "must see" places in Scotland. At this rate I'll have to stay there a year! Glamis Castle sounds fascinating. I too wouldn't be sure whether I wanted to see a ghost or not.

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